Reunited
by Onyx Obsidian
Summary: Severus fell for Hermione in her final year. He let her go. Will he take a chance now that he's found her again? AU; not entirely DH compliant
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER. THIS JUST POPPED IN MY HEAD THE OTHER DAY AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT SINCE. HOPE YOU ENJOY. =)**

Severus Snape couldn't believe his luck. Never, in all his life, had things gone this well for him.

* * *

Both Harry and Hermione had returned for their seventh year after the end of the war. Ron had went to Romania to work with his brother Charlie not long after his girlfriend Lavender's funeral, leaving Harry and Hermione on their own to deal with their grief and sadness, forming a closer sibling bond between the two. Both Hermione and Harry knew how he felt losing someone you loved. Hermione had lost Viktor Krum in the war. The two had dated for over two years, and had recently become engaged. He was killed by a curse meant for her. Harry, on the other hand, had lost his muggle boyfriend, who was targeted and killed by Death Eaters who had attacked his safe house. Remus had lost Tonks, and was now caring for Teddy by himself most of the time. Seamus had lost his brother. Many other people had lost someone close, as well.

Harry and Hermione hadn't held it against Ron for leaving. They knew he hadn't been coping well with losing Lavender. He wasn't eating, just moving the food around on his plate. He wasn't sleeping. He would snap at people for the littlest things. He had been pushing those closest to him away. Ron couldn't bear to lose someone else close to him, so he was determined not to get close to anyone again. They wrote to him, but never got a letter from him with more than 'Hi. I'm still alive.' written. They were holding out hope he would return to normal, or as close as possible, someday.

* * *

A month after the end of the war, Severus Snape had woken up in the infirmary at Hogwarts, where he had been recovering from his attack by Nagini. After an additional month under Poppy's care, he had been released. He had been visited numerous times by two-thirds of the Golden Trio, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. annoyed him to no end for a few weeks, he eventually realized it was time to let go of the past and start over. They had informed him that he had been cleared of any charges against him, and was being awarded an Order of Merlin First Class for his years of work against Voldemort. That had floored him. Severus never thought he would get one.

Severus had made it known to Minerva that this would be his last year of teaching. After teaching for over 20 years, it was time for a change in his life. He wanted to live a life outside of Hogwarts. He no longer wished to be around children constantly for most of the year. While it was true that most of the students he taught were complete dunderheads, every now and then, a student would come along with great potential. Like one Miss Hermione Granger.

He had become quite fond of Hermione during that year. She had been his assistant of sorts, and as he watched her throughout the year, he became more enamored of the young witch. She was bright, funny, loved by all the students and staff, and beautiful, too. She had a vivacious personality. Not to mention extremely kind-hearted. She proved this was true when, on the first day of term, she had accepted both Draco Malfoy's apology and handshake without hesitation, prompting many others to do the same, including Harry. Draco was now part of the small circle of friends, along with Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode. He had asked why she had done that so easily, and she replied with "Everyone deserves a fresh start with Voldemort gone." Those eight words stuck in his head for the rest of the year.

Severus let Hermione go at the end of the year, never telling her how he felt about her. He thought that she deserved someone who was the complete opposite of him. Someone younger, more handsome, not snarky and sarcastic like he was. Even though he loved her, he let her go. He made himself believe that if you love someone, you have to let them go. If they returned to you someday, it was meant to be. Like Lily. He had loved her and let her go. She never returned to him, therefore, it wasn't meant to be. Granted, she left after a mistake on his part, but she never came back. However, he realized that Lily was never truly his to begin with.

After the year was over, he sold Spinner's End and bought a new house in London. He opened his own apothecary in Diagon Alley, right across from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and down the street from Flourish and Blott's. His business was doing wonderfully, and he had a contract with St. Mungo's to brew their potions. Life was going great for Severus Snape for once. He just hoped it continued. Life always had a way of coming back to kick him in the ass somehow.

He had also changed his appearance somewhat. He stopped wearing a tonic in his hair to keep it from catching fire while brewing, and it stopped looking greasy. Now it looked shiny, and he would instead pull it back into a ponytail when brewing. He also found a way to fix his teeth. While they were once crooked and yellow, they were now straight and a pearly white. He stopped wearing so much black all the time. He could often be found wearing jeans and a short sleeve shirt, but he still wore his signature dragon hide boots. That was one thing that would not change.

* * *

Severus had lived in his house for close to 5 years now when he saw the house across the street had finally been sold. The beautiful house had sat empty for over 2 years, which was a shame in Severus' opinion. It was a 3 story house with 2 garage ports. There was a huge yard, fenced in the back. It was a big house that would be perfect for a family.

Sitting on his front porch, he watched as the moving van pulled up, followed by a white SUV and a black sports car. He was sure his jaw had dropped when the door to the car opened and out stepped none other than Harry Potter himself, followed by Draco getting out of the other side. Interesting. However, if Potter had bought the house, Severus was going to start looking for places to move.

He almost dropped his coffee cup as he observed the driver get out of the SUV. There, in a tank top and short shorts with white trainers, was Hermione Granger. She hadn't changed that much in the 5 years he hadn't seen her. Severus noticed she had straightened her hair and had a deep tan. She was just as beautiful as she was the last time he had seen her.

Hermione opened the rear passenger door and a little boy with brown hair hopped out. Severus' heart sank. So, she had married and had a child. The little boy was accompanied by another little boy who had Harry's black messy hair. The two boys immediately took off for the house. Now, Severus thought he was doomed to live across from Hermione and Potter and their happy little family.

* * *

After the moving van drove away a few hours later, he saw Hermione, Harry and Draco standing around the driveway talking. He was curious, so he cast a spell to let him hear the conversation going on between the three adults.

"You're sure you and Aiden are gonna be okay?" he heard Harry ask Hermione.

"Yes, Harry. For the thousandth time, we'll be fine. Stop worrying so much. You're starting to remind me of Molly." Hermione said with a laugh.

"Alright, Mione. If you need anything, ANYTHING, give us a call, alright? Call any of us, anytime, for any reason. Even if it's just because you're lonely." Draco said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"With Aiden here, I'm not sure loneliness is possible, but you got it. And remember, you guys can drop by whenever you want. And James is welcome to stay anytime you need him to. We're still on for dinner Friday, right?" she asked. _'So Potter and Draco aren't going to be living there? Curious.'_

"Of course. We'll see you soon, Mione." Draco said as both he and Harry hugged Hermione goodbye. "Alright. We should probably get going. Boys, come here." Draco picked up the brown haired boy and hugged him before handing him off to Harry. "James, say bye to Auntie Mione and Aiden."

The little black haired boy ran up to Hermione, who picked him up and hugged him. "Bye, Auntie My-knee. Loff you." James said.

"Aw, I loff you too, kiddo. Remember what I told your daddies-you're welcome to come over and play with Aiden whenever you want to." she said as she kissed his cheek and put him down. He went over and said goodbye to Aiden, before going back to Harry.

Harry went to help James into the car, and came back to hug Hermione one last time. After another round of promises to call if she needed anything, Harry and Draco left.

* * *

Severus continued to watch and listen to Hermione, determined to find out anything he could about the boy he now knew as Aiden.

Hermione was holding Aiden, who was crying since his friend left. "Are you hungry, sweetie? We could go for hamburgers and later I'll buy you some ice cream, okay?"

"Otay, sissy." _'Sissy? So she's his sister? Is he adopted? He couldn't be more than 2 or 3 at the oldest. I always thought she was an only child.'_

"Okay. Let's go get cleaned up and we'll go. And don't worry, James will come back to play with you a lot. I promise. And Uncle Harry promised. And Uncle Draco promised. And, Aunt Luna promised to bring the kids over a lot. Plus, you got me." he heard Hermione saying as she walked with Aiden back into the house, tickling him to make him laugh.

A few minutes later, they walked back out, looking clean and refreshed and wearing different clothes. After helping Aiden into the back seat, Hermione got into the drivers seat and backed out. Severus stepped out of the shadows after they drove away.

Maybe it was meant to be, after all.

**PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT SO FAR. **

**AN: I EDITED THIS CHAPTER QUITE A BIT RECENTLY. THANK YOU TO THE ANONYMOUS REVIEWER WHO POINTED OUT THAT HARRY AND HERMIONE CAME OFF AS QUEEN BITCHES 1 AND 2 (MY WORDS, NOT THEIRS). HOPEFULLY, THE CHANGES WERE GOOD ONES. XOXO**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: HARRY POTTER IS NOT MINE. HOPE YOU ENJOY!**

**SOME CRUDE HUMOR AHEAD.**

The next morning, Severus woke at 8 to the sun shining in his window. It looked like it was going to be a good day. After laying in bed for a few more minutes, he decided to get up and start his day, knowing he had things that needed to be done.

Walking over to his window, he looked across the street at Hermione's house. He forgot the spell from last night was still in effect, making him able to hear what was going on over there.

He saw Hermione sitting on a swing on the porch talking on the phone while watching Aiden play in the yard. She was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and had a bandana on her head. Obviously, she had been working on the house already.

"Yes, Uncle Henry. We moved in yesterday."

"No, I don't think I'm gonna lose Aiden in the house. It's not that big, Aunt Matilda."

"Don't worry. I'll send you a lot of pictures of Aiden and myself."

"Anytime you want to visit, just let me know and I'll pay your airfare over here."

"I have plenty of money, so it won't be a bother if you want to come visit."

"Uh-huh."

"It's in the table by my bed, with the safety on. Honestly, Uncle Henry. You taught me better than that."

"Yes, Aunt Matilda. The kitchen was the first thing I set up. But I don't think that Aiden would enjoy eating 5 star cuisine. You know his favorite food is hot dogs and macaroni and cheese."

"I'll have the web chat set up next week. I don't have the phone here connected yet."

"That's why I'm on my cell, Aunt Matilda."

"Love you too."

"I will. Bye."

After she hung up, Hermione walked over to Aiden, and picked him up. He giggled as she tickled him. Severus thought she was a vision, even in her work clothes. He was working up the nerve to go 'introduce' himself to the new neighbors.

"We go get puppies now, Sissy?" Aiden asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yep, Aiden. We go get puppies now. Right after we get you cleaned up, sweetie." she said, while walking into the house.

Hermione and Aiden came out of the house and got in the SUV and drove off half an hour later.

_'Puppies, huh? Maybe I'll get a puppy and 'accidentally' bump into her while taking it for a walk. That sounds better than going over with the line 'I saw you moving in and wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.' That sounds just as cheesy as 'borrowing' a cup of sugar. Ugh, when did I turn soft? The old Severus would just march over there and talk to her, not 'devise' ways to talk to her.'_

Little did he know, he would be 'introducing' himself to Hermione a lot sooner than he expected.

* * *

Severus showered and got dressed after they left. He dressed in a pair of old jeans and a dark green button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. He had yard work to do today. His hedges out front needed trimming. _'Maybe Hermione will see me, and I won't have to introduce myself first. That sounds good. Let her come to me. Yes, that's a good idea.'_

An hour later, after a cup of coffee and some toast, Severus was working out front trimming his hedges. He saw Hermione's white SUV driving up the street and pull into her driveway. After helping Aiden out, she walked around to the back and opened the hatch. Severus' eyes widened at the sight of the 'puppies', who didn't look like puppies at all.

"No, bad dog. Sit. Ugh." he heard Hermione say. He couldn't help but chuckle at her predicament. She had two leashes wrapped around her legs, while the dogs chased each other around her, getting more wrapped up. All the while, Aiden was sitting on the grass beside the driveway laughing at her.

"You funny, Sissy!" Aiden said through his giggles. Hermione got the dogs untangled from both her legs and each other and walked them to the gate to the back yard. He was still chuckling at the sight of Hermione with two German Shepherds on leashes wrapped around her legs. Severus turned back to finish trimming his hedges.

"Come back here, Padfoot! Bad dog!" Severus heard, and turned around. He saw a black dog running toward him, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground with a heavy dog on top of him.

* * *

"Bad, Padfoot, bad! Get off!" Hermione said, pulling on Padfoot's collar to get him off the poor man underneath him.

"I am so sorry! He's not usually like this. I don't know what's gotten into him." Hermione said after she pulled the dog off Severus. After reattaching Padfoot's leash, she finally looked at who he had attacked.

_'OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! I live across from Professor Snape!?'_

"Professor! You live here?" Hermione asked. She was surprised at the sight of Severus Snape, her former Potion's professor, on the ground under her dog. Ironically, the dog was named after Sirius' dog name.

"Obviously. I take it this is your dog?" he asked in the same deep, silky voice she remembered from Hogwarts. _'Oh, Merlin. I have missed that voice. That voice that could melt chocolate.'_

"Um…yes, he is. Like I said, he's usually not like this. Both he and Cujo are usually pretty tame, but I think they're excited about the move." she said. She could feel her face turning red. What a way to make a good impression on the neighbors. Especially this neighbor.

"I assume you live around here, Miss Granger?" Severus asked with his eyebrow raised, as he got up off the ground.

"Oh! Yes, Professor. I own the house across the street. Aiden and I moved in yesterday afternoon." she said, motioning to the house she lived in. "And since we're obviously going to be neighbors, please call me Hermione." she added with a smile.

"Of course. And only if you'll call me Severus." he said in that voice. Hermione was surprised to see a real smile on his face.

_'Wow. He's certainly changed. He's actually smiling instead of smirking. And he's wearing green instead of black. Is that a goatee? Huh. His hair is different, too. It doesn't look greasy anymore. Did he do something to his teeth? They look white now. Better not ask. Might piss him off. If the dog attack didn't do it, questioning his appearance might. Keep your mouth shut for once, Hermione.'_

"Of course, Severus. Well, it was nice seeing you again, but I better get back. I left Aiden by himself, and…" Hermione started.

"I take it Aiden is your son, Hermione?" Severus asked, intending to get the story on the little boy living with Hermione.

"Oh, no. Aiden is my little brother. My parents died, so I have guardianship of him." Hermione said. "Umm...I really should be getting back. I still have a lot of unpacking to do, and I have to make Aiden lunch. I'll see you around, Severus."

* * *

After she got home, and got Padfoot back into the back yard, Hermione stopped and took a deep breath. She was actually living in the same area as Severus. She couldn't believe her luck. Her life was getting better and better. She stayed in the back yard for a few more moments to collect herself, then went inside to fix Aiden's lunch.

Hermione was talking to Ginny that afternoon, giddy as a schoolgirl again. She was actually living across from the man who she still thought about every day. In her final year, she was Severus' assistant. She would never tell him, but she fell in love with him throughout the year. After not seeing him for 5 years almost, he was still as delicious as she remembered, if not more.

"I'm telling you, Gin. Right across the street." Hermione said.

"No way! You get to live on the same street and right across from Professor Severus 'I-can-talk-you-into-an-orgasm' Snape? Can I live with you, Mione?" Ginny asked with a laugh.

Hermione laughed right along with her. "I don't think you'd want to live with a rowdy 3 year old and…oh! That's what I was gonna tell you!" and proceeded to tell Ginny about Padfoot attacking Severus earlier in the day.

"Oh! That's so funny, Hermione! You might have to put that memory in a pensieve so I can see it!" Ginny said through her laughter. "I will, however, be coming to Aiden's party, just FYI. I've missed both you and Aiden. I miss Harry and Draco, as well. Speaking of, how is the Malfoy-Potter family? Heartbroken from you leaving them?"

"They're fine, Ginny. Little James is growing like a weed. And you better come visit. I got Aiden a Quidditch jersey last month with your name on it, and I kinda promised that you would wear your practice jersey to his party." Hermione said. Aiden would be turning 3 in just over a month.

"I wouldn't dream of missing Aiden's birthday party. Is Snape gonna be there? You are going to invite him, right?" Ginny asked.

"I'll give him an invitation, but I can't make him come." Hermione said.

"Well, I'm sure you can make him come, sweetie. Just remember, it's a suck/lick combo that does the trick every time." Ginny said.

"GINNY! I didn't mean it like that! And, even if I had, I've never had any complaints about my technique." Hermione said with a laugh. She was glad Aiden was taking a nap. Hermione sighed. "How's Ron? Molly mentioned he was seeing someone?" Hermione asked. That had surprised them. Ron had slept around but hadn't dated anyone since Lavender. She and Harry were still writing to him, hoping one day they'd get a letter back. Either a letter or a visit would be great after all these years.

"Oh, yeah. I met her last month when we were in Romania. She's nice, I guess. He kept asking me about you and Harry. I didn't tell him anything except that you had bought a house and Harry and Draco were expecting again. He actually looked quite sad by the time I was done talking to him."

"Well, that's his fault. He left, and even though me and Harry still keep in touch, we haven't heard anything from him. Not even a card when Harry and Draco got James. Maybe now that he seems to be finally moving on, that'll change. Although, it has been 5 years and none of us have seen him, except for Charlie. Not that I'm holding anything against him, mind. I'm just wondering when I get my friend back. And, I know that Harry misses him." Hermione said. "We're hoping he'll show up at one of the celebration balls, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Well, I gotta go. Give Aiden my love. I'll talk to you in a few days, Hermione. Take care." Ginny said.

"You too, Gin. Bye."

* * *

After hanging up, the doorbell rung. Hermione looked through the peep-hole, and was surprised to see Severus standing on her doorstep.

**I DIDN'T EXPLAIN IN CHAPTER 1, BUT HARRY AND DRACO ARE TOGETHER AND HAD JAMES VIA A SURROGATE, AND WERE EXPECTING AGAIN. **

**ALSO, THERE WILL BE MORE INTERACTION BETWEEN SEVERUS AND HERMIONE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. **

**AND YES, HERMIONE NAMED ONE OF HER DOGS PADFOOT IN HONOR OF SIRIUS.**

**PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT. XOXO**

**AGAIN, I EDITED THIS CHAPTER AS WELL. NOT AS MANY CHANGES, BUT HOPEFULLY GOOD ONES. XOXO**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: HARRY POTTER IS NOT MINE. HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISED. THIS ONE IS SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE OTHERS. ONCE I STARTED, THE WORDS ALMOST WOULDN'T STOP. THE FIRST PART OF THIS CHAPTER TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE END OF THE LAST CHAPTER. **

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS FAVORITED, FOLLOWED OR REVIEWED SO FAR. YOU GUYS ROCK! ENJOY!**

After watching Hermione take her dog into her backyard, Severus walked into his house, going to get a drink. He flicked his wand canceling the spell allowing him to hear her from his house. He needed to think, and he couldn't do that if he could hear her beautiful voice. Pouring himself a generous glass of firewhiskey, he lost himself in thought.

Hermione had obviously been surprised to see him. That kind of bummed him out. He had hoped that there was a larger force at work, and she had known where he lived and moved across the street on purpose just to be close to him.

It was a happy look of surprise, though. She didn't look disappointed to see him. No, she looked pleased to see him again. He hadn't seen that look on her face since he informed her that she had been accepted to be his apprentice. When he told her that on her first day back, she looked like she was going to bounce right out of her seat with happiness.

Finishing off his firewhiskey, he decided to take a book and read it on the porch. This was how he spent a lot of spring nights when it was warming up. Of course, he didn't know how much reading he would get in, as he was more than likely to keep an eye on Hermione's house.

He wondered if she needed any help with anything. He remembered her saying she still had a lot of unpacking to do before she had gone back home. Maybe instead of reading a book he's already read about 30 times, he should go over and offer to help her. Usually, it wasn't in his nature to volunteer to help people, but this was Hermione. He would gladly help her if she needed or wanted him to.

He made his decision and went over to her house.

* * *

Opening the door, Hermione smiled brightly at Severus. She was surprised to see him again so soon.

"Hi, Severus. What can I do for you?" she asked.

"I remembered that you said you had a lot of unpacking left to do, and I was wondering if you needed any help with anything?"

"Oh! Umm…sure. Come on in." she said and stepped out of the doorway to allow him to enter. "I'm actually almost done with unpacking. I just have a couple of boxes of books in my study, if you'd like to help." Hermione said. She was hoping he would still want to help, as it would give them a chance to talk and catch up.

"That sounds fine, Hermione." Severus said.

"Great. If you'll excuse me for a moment. It's the last door at the end of the hall. I'll be right back." Hermione said.

After Severus walked towards the study, Hermione went into the bathroom off the kitchen. She didn't know how she looked, but it couldn't be pretty. Looking in the mirror, she saw that her bandana was all dirty, her face was flushed and she was sweaty. 'Oh, Merlin! I look hideous!' she thought.

Usually, she'd just freshen her appearance the muggle way. But it wasn't everyday one had Severus Snape in their home waiting on them, offering to help them. She remembered from Hogwarts that volunteering for things wasn't in his nature. She felt special. Using her wand, she cleaned her bandana and cast a couple cleansing spells on herself as well.

* * *

Walking into the study, she saw Severus looking at a few pictures she had put up before she got sidetracked earlier. "That's Aiden when he was only a few days old." she said, making Severus turn around in surprise.

Composing himself, he put the picture back on the shelf and said, "Forgive me for snooping, Hermione. I was merely curious."

"It's not snooping to look at a picture on a shelf, Severus. It's fine." Hermione said with a smile. "Well, shall we get started?" she asked walking toward a stack of boxes.

"Of course." he said. Sitting across from her, he opened a box she set in front of him. He couldn't help but notice that a few boxes to Hermione apparently meant around 10. As he was unpacking Hermione's law books, he asked, "So, Hermione. What have you been doing for the past 5 years? Something great, I imagine."

"Oh, well, nothing much, really. After Hogwarts, I went to university for a couple years. I now work as a legal aide at Malfoy, Industries. I'll also be taking my wizarding legal exams in a few weeks, and then I'll be a real lawyer. And, of course, I'm raising Aiden." she said. She knew she wasn't doing anything spectacular with her life, but she was happy with the way things were going.

"Why Malfoy, Industries?"

"After uni, I worked at a law firm here in London. I hated it there. The hours sucked. I hated most of my colleagues. The pay wasn't great, either." she said while unpacking a box of knick-knacks. "Then, when Draco took over Malfoy, Industries, he offered me a position, and I jumped on it. It's the complete opposite of my old job. And, since I have Aiden now, I get to work from home most of the time, so that's an added bonus."

"Well, sounds like you made the right decision taking Draco up on his offer. If you don't mind me asking, what's the story on Aiden?" Severus asked.

"My parents had Aiden when I was 20, and he was quite the surprise. After me, they thought they weren't able to have any more children. So, when they came back from a year long vacation and my mum was 7 months pregnant, I fainted from shock. Aiden was destined to be special. I finally had the brother my parents always wanted to give me, and my dad had a son." Hermione stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "Then, when Aiden was 6 months old, my parents decided to go on a romantic week long vacation. I had Aiden for the week, and they were going to Italy, where they had gone on their honeymoon. Their plane crashed in southern Switzerland." she said as she took a handful of books to the shelf.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." Severus said softly.

"It's alright, Severus. Luckily, they changed their wills almost immediately after Aiden was born, and I was given custody. If they hadn't done that, the odds are that he would be living with my Uncle Henry and Aunt Matilda in Canada." she said. She got a teary look in her eyes when she said, "He may be my brother, but he's always been my special baby boy. I couldn't stand it if I didn't get to see him everyday."

"I see. That was smart. They obviously didn't want you two separated." he said. "And, I can't imagine he could be loved more if he were somewhere else."

"Thanks." Hermione cleared her throat. "What about you, Severus? What have you been up to all these years? Besides not teaching, I mean." Hermione said with a small smile.

She hadn't known what he had been doing lately, or where he had gone. After she graduated Hogwarts, it was as if Severus had left the wizarding world. Not even Draco had heard from him in a while.

"Well, after I quit teaching, I opened an apothecary in Diagon Alley. I also do the brewing for St. Mungo's. I bought my house and have been living a relatively boring life since. It's quite nice, actually."

"Sounds like you're living the life you want, finally. Good for you, Severus." Hermione said with a smile. "Well, it looks like we're finally done with the study. Would you like to stay for dinner? It won't be anything fancy, of course. I'm lucky most days if Aiden eats anything besides a hot dog."

Severus looked around. They were indeed done with the study. He also noted that it had been around an hour since he arrived. "I think I would like that, Hermione. I just need to run home and freshen up. Can I bring anything back with me?" he asked. He didn't want this day to end. He felt like he was in a dream and tomorrow none of this would exist.

"No, thank you, Severus. This will be my way of thanking you for helping me today. It wasn't much, I know, but it would've taken me a lot longer if you hadn't been here." she said. "When you come back, just come on in. I'll either be in the kitchen or around the house somewhere."

"Okay. I'll see you in say, half an hour? Would that be acceptable?" Severus asked.

"That's fine. I'll see you then." she said with a bright smile.

* * *

Once Severus left, she washed up and got to fixing dinner. She was right when she said it wouldn't be anything fancy. Just some simple tuna casserole. That was one of the foods Aiden approved of currently, because it had macaroni and crisps.

After putting it in the oven, she saw she had about 20 mtes until Severus came back. She went upstairs to wake Aiden up from his nap, and hopefully get him washed up with no problems.

"Aiden. Sweetie. It's time to get up and get washed up for dinner." she said as she sat on the edge of his bed. She had recently promoted Aiden to a 'big boy' bed, finally talking him out of the crib.

Looking up at her with big brown eyes still hazy from sleep, Aiden smiled at her. "Sissy? Hot dog?" he asked.

"No, Aiden. Not hot dog. Tuna casserole. Your other favorite." she said shaking her head and laughing. He was obsessed with hot dogs.

"Hot dog! Hot dog!" he said.

"How about this, Aiden? You come out with Sissy and help me give the dogs their dinner, and I'll cut up a hot dog for you to eat with your dinner?" Hermione asked.

"Yay, Sissy! Puppy time!" he yelled as she walked with him down the stairs.

It was always funny to watch Aiden carrying the dogs their food. She had trained them not to jump up on him so he could feed them like he always begged her to let him do. She was thanking Merlin that the dogs had finally calmed down, especially after that fiasco earlier.

Looking at her watch, she saw it was only a few minutes until Severus was due back, and dinner would be ready not long after that. Calling Aiden to go wash up, she finished up feeding the dogs. Then, she went upstairs to freshen up herself. She changed into a white knee length skirt and a blue tank top. She took off her bandana and brushed out her hair. She walked back down the stairs just in time to see Severus walk in the front door.

He had changed into a black pair of jeans and a black button up shirt. He had obviously taken a shower while he was gone. He looked, in a word, delicious. She noticed he was looking at her like he wanted her for dinner. Severus looking at her like that made her want to arrange a 'play date' of their own.

"I hope tuna casserole is acceptable to you, Severus. Like I said earlier, there's few foods outside of hot dogs that I can Aiden to eat. Sorry." she said blushing and looking down at her bare feet.

"It's fine, Hermione. I don't believe I've ever had tuna casserole, actually. But, if it's good enough for Aiden, who am I to complain?" he said with a deep laugh. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by saying so out loud, but he would gladly eat anything she offered him. Especially looking as gorgeous as he thought she did.

"That reminds me-Aiden, come meet a friend of Sissy's." she yelled. Aiden ran into the living room, and Hermione picked him up. Walking over to stand in front of Severus, Hermione said, "Severus, this is my brother, Aiden. Aiden, this is Sissy's friend, Severus. Can you say hi to him?"

* * *

"Hi, Sevus." Aiden said in a small voice. This man looked scary, but if his Sissy called him a friend, then he must be okay. After all, his Sissy would never allow anyone in the house she didn't trust. Sissy was also very choosy who she allowed around him, and if the scary man was here, Sissy must've given him the all clear.

* * *

"Hello, Aiden." Severus said. Seeing Aiden up close, he saw he right in his earlier thought that this was Hermione's son. He looked just like her, right down to the bushy curls. But, Severus thought, it fit on Aiden. He even had Hermione's big brown eyes.

"Well, how about dinner?" Hermione said as the oven timer went off. Setting Aiden back down, she was trying not laugh as she saw him go over to Severus and tug on his pants leg. When Severus bent down to Aiden's level and she heard him talking, she started shaking with silent laughter.

"You like hot dog Sevus? I ask Sissy to giff you one, tay?"

**WRITING AIDEN'S PART WAS KINDA HARD, SO HOPEFULLY I DID THE LITTLE TYKE JUSTICE SO FAR. **

**PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS. XOXO**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I OWN NOTHING. ENJOY!**

Dinner that night had gone surprisingly well, Hermione thought. Aiden had entertained Severus with stories throughout dinner. Aiden had made sure Severus listened to each of his stories, which he told in great detail for a 3 year old.

"Are you like Sissy, Sevus?" Aiden asked.

"He means to ask if you're a wizard, Severus." Hermione said, seeing confusion on Severus' face at that question.

"Yes, I am, actually." Severus said.

Aiden then went on to tell Severus about his birthday party last year. They had invited all their friends to Aiden's party, and had even gotten a Muggle bouncy-castle for the kids. Aiden was having fun bouncing, and didn't want to stop, even when it was time for presents and his cake, which 'Nana' Weasley had made just for him. Once all the other kids were out, Aiden had shown he was magical for the first time. Before Hermione or any of the other adults could come in to get him, he had shrunk it down to be just big enough for him to play in.

"Sounds very impressive, Aiden." Severus said.

"Oh, it was. Also very confusing. None of us knew who had shrunk the bouncy-castle, and we spent about 20 minutes arguing about it. Then, Harry pointed out that Aiden was the only one who had a reason to do it. That was a great day, actually." Hermione said.

By the time dinner was over, Aiden was worn out from telling Severus practically his life story, and was out like a light. Severus offered to carry him to his bedroom, having felt partly responsible for tiring him out. After Hermione directed him to his room, Severus carried him gently up the stairs. Severus couldn't help but wonder if Hermione was this energetic at Aiden's age.

After he had Aiden in his bed in his Quidditch themed bedroom, Severus headed back down to offer his help cleaning up to Hermione. Walking into the dining room, he saw Hermione had already cleaned up. He went into the kitchen, and found Hermione loading the dishwasher.

"I hope Aiden didn't bother you too much tonight, Severus. I know he's just like me in that his mouth tends to run away with him." Hermione said.

"Not at all. I quite enjoyed listening to all his stories. He's a good story-teller for someone his age, Hermione." Severus said with a smile. He meant it, too. He enjoyed listening to Aiden tell all those stories.

Hermione smiled wistfully. "I know. Everytime he tells me a new story, I write it down later for him to read when he gets older. So far, I think I've got around 10 muggle notebooks filled with his stories." she said with a laugh.

"I did have a question about one of the stories Aiden told me, though." Severus said.

"Oh? Which one?" Hermione asked, while pouring Severus a glass of wine.

"Yes. That story he told about a red glowing igloo?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

Hermione started laughing. "Oh, that. Follow me to the living room and I'll show you what he was talking about."

Once they were in the living room and seated on the sofa, Hermione started looking through a picture book she had on the coffee table. "A few days before Christmas last year, it snowed for about 3 days straight. One of the biggest snowstorms I've ever seen, actually. We were going to have Christmas at the Manor with the family, which is what Harry and I call our families, the Weasley's, the Longbottom's, and the Order. Everyone was starting to get restless and a bit agitated at having to stay inside. I mean, it wasn't even safe to apparate anywhere. So, when it finally lightened up a bit, while the kids were asleep, all the adults went outside to make them a surprise. Just outside the front steps, we built a tunnel underneath all the snow. At the end of this tunnel, which came out at the back of the property, we had cleared away all the snow, making a place where they could play outside and not get sick. Well, we figured that we needed to remember somehow where the tunnel was, so we put an igloo on top of the stairs, and to set it apart from the snow, we made it glow a red color. Oh! Here. This is what I'm talking about." she said, handing him a picture of a red glowing igloo. "Turns out, Draco liked the igloo tunnel so much, he made it permanent, just now it's made out of glass and bricks instead of snow and ice. And it doesn't glow red, either. That's what Aiden told you about."

"I see. It sounds very interesting." he said. He caught a glance of the clock, and saw it was almost 11, so he decided he should head home. "Well, I must be going, Hermione. I must say though, I thoroughly enjoyed myself this evening." he said as he walked toward the door.

"Well, thanks for coming. And, thanks for helping me today. I'm sorry I kept you so long, Severus. I hope it wasn't too dull a night for you." Hermione said with a nervous laugh.

"Not at all. I really did enjoy myself tonight. Aiden is a delightful boy to be around, truly."

Opening the front door, Hermione looked at Severus as he stepped outside. "I'm glad. And, coming from you that's saying something." she said.

"It is. I hope we can do this again sometime. Maybe next time, you and young Aiden can come to my home for dinner?" Severus asked.

"I would like that. Goodnight, Severus." Hermione said with a smile.

Taking her hand, he pressed a kiss to it. "Goodnight, Hermione."

* * *

Walking into his home that night, Severus found that he did indeed enjoy himself throughout the night. Little Aiden was a true joy and ball of energy to be around. That surprised even him when he said it. But found it was completely true. Maybe he didn't actually dislike children. Maybe he only disliked them once they were old enough to think that they already knew everything and didn't need to be taught. Interesting.

He also found that he enjoyed being around Hermione and Aiden more than being at home alone. He could see himself settling down with Hermione in the future. They weren't even dating, they were just friends for now, but he could already picture them at home like tonight. Eating dinner with Aiden, and maybe a few kids of their own. The dogs, as well.

After he finished cleaning up and changing, he crawled into bed and lost himself to that fantasy. He came to realize almost instantly that as much as he fantasized about Hermione over the years, that was one of the better ones. And, it had absolutely nothing to do with sex.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hermione was thinking along the same lines as Severus. She was truly pleased that unlike a few other guys in the past, Severus had no problem being around Aiden. Severus also ate the hot dogs Aiden insisted he try.

After checking on Aiden and finding him still asleep, she changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. She had always pictured what life would be like with Severus, and found that she had a new vision of what that life could be like.

Her old vision was them shagging at all hours of the day and night, in any room of the house, even in the backyard. But those visions had lessened with the guardianship of Aiden. Now, after tonight, the vision that came to her was being married to Severus. They weren't even dating. Sitting down to dinner with Aiden, maybe even a few kids of their own, with his eyes, her nose and not bushy, but wavy black hair. The dogs, as well.

**SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THIS. I GOT FINISHED AND JUST AS I WAS WORKING ON UPLOADING IT, MY COMPUTER DECIDED TO STOP WORKING. THEN, APPARENTLY WHEN THE COMPUTER REPAIR DUDE SAID A WEEK, HE REALLY MEANT 3 WEEKS. I ONLY HAD MY 3DS FOR INTERNET, AND WHILE I COULD R&R, I COULDN'T POST ANYTHING. SO, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS MOST OF THE DAY TODAY. **

**THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE STILL WITH ME. I'M ALSO WORKING ON THE FINAL CHAPTER OF 'THE STAR' IF ANY OF YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ARE READING THAT. **

**AS ALWAYS, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. XOXO**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:HARRY'S NOT MINE. **

***SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT ON THIS STORY UPDATE. GOT A LITTLE CASE OF WRITER'S BLOCK FOR IT. BUT, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. **

***THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE STILL INTERESTED IN THIS STORY. **

***ENJOY!**

* * *

That Friday, after dinner at Harry and Draco's, Aiden and James were outside playing while the adults sat in the gazebo, keeping an eye on them.

"So, Hermione, how's the new place? Met your neighbors, yet?" Draco asked as he was pouring tea.

"The new house is fine. I'm all done unpacking, actually. Got Padfoot and Cujo there, as well. And yes, I have met a few of the neighbors." Hermione said. "Aiden, please be careful, sweetie." she yelled.

"Oh, yeah? What are they like?" Draco asked.

"Well, there's a nice older lady that lives next door. She reminds me somewhat of Madam Pince. Her name is Irene, and she adores Aiden. Then, there's a couple that lives just up the street. The O'Shea family. Got a couple kids. But, I'm more interested in the older man who lives across the street." she said.

"What about him?" Harry asked.

"It's Professor Snape." she said, laughing as Draco spit out his tea.

"Severus lives across from you? In muggle London?" Draco asked, wiping up the mess.

"Yep. He does. Met him when Padfoot attacked him 10 minutes after we got him and Cujo to the house." Hermione said.

"How is he?" Harry asked. Aside from 1 or 2 brief conversations, he hadn't talked to or seen Severus in years.

"He seems fine. It's like all the weight he was carrying on his shoulders while we were in Hogwarts is gone. He's actually quite nice, nowadays. He even enjoyed listening to all ten thousand of Aiden's stories the other night." Hermione said.

"Really? He enjoyed talking with Aiden? Are we talking about the same man? Severus Snape? Real tall, black hair, black eyes, big nose? Looks at everyone like they're something he stepped in? That Severus Snape?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry. He helped me unpack the books in my study, and I made him dinner as a thank you. Aiden talked all through dinner-no surprise there- and he listened and laughed, and talked to Aiden when he got the chance. He even tucked Aiden in bed that night." she said.

"Interesting." Draco said with a strange look in his eye. "Anyway, anything else you've failed to mention yet?"

"I talked to Ginny the other day." Hermione said.

"Oh, yeah? How is she?" Harry asked.

"She's fine. Said she went to visit Ron while the team was in Romania a few weeks ago." Hermione said.

"Really?" Draco asked.

"Yes. Confirmed what Molly told us. He is seeing someone. Has been for a while, from what Ginny said." Hermione said, taking a sip of tea. "Not casual, either, like the ones from before. She said this time it's serious."

"Well, that's great, isn't it? I mean, he's finally moving on." Harry said. Hermione knew he missed Ron just as much as she did.

"Yeah, maybe." Hermione said. "Ginny also said that she'd definitely be here for Aiden's party next weekend."

"Good. It'll be nice to see her again. We're still having it here, right? Quidditch themed?" Draco asked.

"Yes, and yes. Besides hot dogs, Aiden's all about Quidditch, so nothing else will do. By the way, please tell me you're serving something else along with Aiden's precious hot dogs?" Hermione asked. "I'm really hoping he out-grows this hot dog obsession of his, and soon."

"Yes, Hermione. There will be other foods, don't worry. I'll call you later in the week to go over everything. Again." Harry said.

"Good." Hermione said. At that point, Aiden and James ran over to them. Aiden crawled into Hermione's lap. "What's the matter, Aiden?" she asked.

"Tired." Aiden said sleepily.

"Alright. You wanna go home?" Hermione asked. At Aiden's nod, she smiled. "Alright, boys. I think we're gonna go."

After a round of hugs and promises to talk later in the week, the group headed inside, where Hermione gathered her purse. After she got him in his seat, she started driving home.

* * *

Severus was glancing out of the window every few minutes, watching for Hermione to pull in. He hadn't talked to her since she made him dinner a few days ago. He had been busy brewing for both the apothecary and St. Mungo's. He missed seeing her.

He was standing in his bedroom, debating going to bed, when he saw Hermione pull into her driveway. It was quite odd, he thought, that she be gone until almost 11 at night, especially with Aiden.

Severus walked over to the window, and watched as she got Aiden out of the backseat, and carried him into the house. Even in darkness, he could see the grip she had on the little guy. He admired her for taking care of Aiden as if he was her own son.

He truly did admire that. Instead of proclaiming herself too young to care for an infant at the time, and letting her relatives in Canada raise Aiden. But she didn't. She gladly, it seemed, took responsibility for the boy. She did, from what little he had seen of the two, treat him as her son, not her brother.

Severus, coming out of his thoughts, remembered that it was Friday, and she had been to Draco and Potter's home for dinner. He reckoned that he really should arrange to meet with Draco sometime in the future so they could catch up. It had been some time now since he had talked with Draco, and he hadn't seen his son, James, since right after his birth.

He was thinking about this when he heard, yet again, Hermione yelling at her dog, Cujo, who was currently running around on her front lawn. Severus chuckled at this sight. It reminded him of earlier in the week when she moved in and the dogs chased each other around her. Once he saw Hermione get hold of Cujo and lead her into the garage, where he knew she had a pen set up for them to stay at night, he closed his shades and decided to go to bed.

* * *

The weekend and the following week went by fairly quickly for both Hermione and Severus. It was now Friday night, once again.

Hermione, after talking to Draco about it, decided to invite Severus to Aiden's birthday party at the Manor. She didn't know if he would come or not, but she was still going to ask him. So, that night, after dinner and putting Aiden to bed, she sent a patronus to Severus asking him to come over.

Five minutes later the doorbell rang, and Hermione smiled a bright smile before opening the door. There was Severus, once again dressed casually, in jeans, a t-shirt and his dragon hide boots.

"Hi, Severus. Thanks for coming so quickly." she said as she let him in.

"No problem, Hermione. Is there something wrong?" he asked. He took a good look at her as he followed her to the kitchen. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top with no shoes.

Hermione poured him a glass of wine, as well as one for herself. After taking a sip, she looked at him. "No, no problem. I just wanted to ask you a question, and I can't leave Aiden alone asleep." she said.

"I understand. What was the question, Hermione?" he asked, taking a sip of wine.

"Well, it's Aiden's birthday tomorrow, and we're having a party for him at the Manor. I know it's probably not your idea of a pleasant Saturday, being surrounded by screaming kids and a bunch of former students, as well as the Order." she said, taking a deep breath. She knew she was rambling, but she was nervous.

"There wasn't a question in there, Hermione." Severus said, raising one eyebrow. He knew, like Hermione, that she was rambling.

"Right. Um…I was wondering if you would like to come? You don't have to or anything, so don't feel…" she started, but was interrupted by Severus' hand over her mouth.

"I would like to go, Hermione." he said. "What would Aiden like for his birthday?" he asked her.

"Oh! Um…Aiden is obsessed with Quidditch right now. So something Quidditch-y or he also likes dragons, too. So either one is fine." she said.

"What time should I be there?" Severus asked, finishing off his wine.

"Around 1:30 or so. But, I should tell you that Draco doesn't allow anyone to apparate onto the property anymore. He changed the wards after James was born. So would you like to ride with me and Aiden?"

"That would be nice. When were you going to leave?" he asked.

"Well, driving there takes about an hour and a half, so I was thinking 11? Gives us plenty of time." Hermione said.

"Sounds fine, Hermione. I'll see you then?" he asked, walking toward the door.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Severus." she said as she opened the door for him.

After Severus left, she smiled to herself before remembering that she was going to ask him if he enjoyed listening to the Beatles. They were the only band that would keep Aiden calm during car rides.

Shaking her head, she headed to her study to do a little work before bed.

* * *

**REVIEW PLEASE. XOXO**

***I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT ANY OF MY STORIES. TRUTHFULLY. IT'S JUST THAT I GET WRITER'S BLOCK ON ONE AND THEN AN IDEA FOR A NEW STORY POPS IN MY HEAD SO I START ON THAT ONE. **

***THE IDEAS ARE FLOWING ON THIS AND ON THE OTHERS AGAIN, SO HOPEFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO UPDATE THOSE MORE OFTEN NOW. **

***THANKS FOR READING. **


	6. Sorry

Sorry,guys. The next update will be in a few weeks. Gotta take my computer in to be fixed yet again. Using a friends computer right now. I will be writing out the next chapter for this and a couple other of my stories in the meantime to post as soon as it comes back. I will have my 3DS, though, so I'll still be able to R&R. Looking forward to reading all your wonderful stories in the meantim


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